American businessman
Jay Samit
|
---|
Jay Alan Samit
|
Born
| (
1961-01-31
)
January 31, 1961
(age 63)
|
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Alma mater
| UCLA
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Children
| Two
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Jay Samit
(born January 31, 1961) is the former Independent Vice Chairman of
Deloitte
Digital.
[1]
An American digital media innovator, he has pioneered advancements in music and video distribution, social media, and ecommerce. He is the author of the bestselling
[2]
book
Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation
[3]
and
Future Proofing You - Twelve Truths for Creating Opportunity, Maximizing Wealth, and Controlling Your Destiny in an Uncertain World
.
[4]
Career
[
edit
]
Jasmine Multimedia Publishing
[
edit
]
Samit was a recipient of the Presidential fellowship at
UCLA
where he graduated magna cum laude in 1982. The same year, Samit founded Jasmine Multimedia Publishing where he created some of the breakthrough
laserdisc
and CD-ROM titles that defined the emergence of video and music on the personal computer, including the first video on a PC.
[5]
Jasmine's technological breakthroughs include creating the first interactive videodisc arcade game in 1982 and the first laserdisc-based interactive movie theater for the
1984 Louisiana World Exposition
.
[5]
Partnering with leading technology firms such as
IBM
,
Microsoft
, and
Intel
, Samit published over 300 titles ranging from
Inside the Vatican
to Wild West to the award-winning
Vid Grid
with
David Geffen
featuring
Aerosmith
,
Ozzy Osbourne
,
Peter Gabriel
,
Metallica
,
Van Halen
,
Soundgarden
,
Red Hot Chili Peppers
,
Nirvana
, and
Guns N' Roses
.
[6]
Samit and his innovations at Jasmine Multimedia received numerous awards, including Best of Show
COMDEX
, Best of RetailVision, Best of
E3
, Multimedia Producer Top 100, and Newsweek’s Editor’s Choice Award.
[7]
Universal Studios New Media Group
[
edit
]
After Jasmine Multimedia Publishing was acquired, Samit was brought on as the first head of business development for
Universal Studios
in the New Media Group. Later, as VP of Universal Studios' New Media arm, Samit developed a number of content driven opportunities for the company to make their new media initiative profitable.
[8]
In 1998, he created the first million-member social media site for college students called
animalhouse.com
, which was the first online community to feature free web-based email, VOIP, and ecommerce.
[9]
[10]
Animalhouse.com was hailed as “the leading online community for college students” by Variety in 1999.
[8]
EMI Recorded Music (Capitol Records)
[
edit
]
In April 1999, Samit joined
EMI
(
Capitol Records
) as EVP of New Media and rose to Global President of Digital Distribution.
[8]
Under Samit’s leadership, EMI was able to make the company’s entire music catalog Internet-ready.
[11]
With the goal of being the “first digital label,” Samit led EMI’s strategy to make money by signing deals aimed at developing and owning the technology to distribute music over the Internet and wireless networks.
[11]
As noted in
Wired
, the “venture-capital strategy paid big dividends” and EMI “realized a substantial gain in operating profit by using its technology investments wisely” quadrupling its stock price.
Samit was recognized for his expertise in “untangling technological and legal knots," enabling EMI to sell traditional content in new digital formats.
[12]
Under Samit, EMI became the first record label to offer digital albums for sale (
David Bowie
Hours), win a
Grammy
for a digital release (
Lenny Kravitz
's
Dig In
), sign the
Beatles
to their first digital distribution deal, and record and distribute mobile ringtones.
[11]
According to
Variety
, when Samit joined EMI in 1999, EMI had a "negligible Internet presence" but soon became "arguably the most innovative music major spearheading the shift into digital distribution."
[13]
At the time, the music industry was encouraged to follow EMI's digital model which Samit pioneered.
[14]
In 2001, Samit was quoted in
Forbes
magazine in response to criticism about the music industry's slow transition to digital music distribution. He said, "My job is to make buying music easier than stealing it. It's faster and easier to rob a liquor store than it is to build a grocery store, which is what we're doing."
[14]
Samit led EMI Recorded Music to receive an
RIAA
honorary
Gold Record
, marking the first time a CD available only on the Internet was given this honor.
[15]
Samit also won Music Executive of the Year at Gavin's first ever Wammy Awards in 2000.
[16]
Spearheading the development of digital music distribution, Samit sat on the boards of Musicmaker, Musicnet(MediaNet),
Pressplay
(
Napster
),
OD2
, and Loudeye.
[17]
[18]
Sony
[
edit
]
Samit left EMI to join
Sony
where he was the creator and general manager of
Sony Connect
and later rose to executive vice president. According to
The New York Times
, Samit's post leading Sony's digital music initiative was seen as "a way to unite the sometimes conflicting electronics and content divisions."
[12]
As Sony, once the biggest player in the portable audio market, was quickly losing market share to Apple and the iPod, Samit was brought in to launch Sony's online music store and "bridge the gap between Sony's engineers in Tokyo and its music team in the United States."
[12]
Sony Connect, Sony's global digital service for music, video, ebooks, and mobile content. It was once the world's largest online music store with over 2.5 million tracks serving 45 million page views a day.
To promote the launch of Sony Connect, Samit executive-produced the first ever in-flight concert at 30,000 feet featuring
Sheryl Crow
.
[19]
He also executive produced 350 live concert and in-studio sessions for exclusive digital tracks ranging from
Crosby & Nash
and
John Legend
, to
Kelly Clarkson
and
Train
.
[19]
Samit has been called "guru for the entire industry" by
Variety
and, according to
Wired
, the guy with "the coolest job in the industry" for dreaming up new ways for Hollywood to capitalize on emerging media.”
[11]
[20]
SocialVibe
[
edit
]
From 2009-2012, Samit was the CEO of
SocialVibe
, a digital advertising technology company that powers engagement advertising for some of the world's top brands, including:
Microsoft
,
Visa Inc.
,
Apple Inc.
,
Disney
,
Coca-Cola
,
Kia Motors
,
Kraft Foods
,
Macy's
,
Nestle
,
Procter & Gamble
and
Discover Card
. Samit managed the company during a time of rapid growth. During his tenure, SocialVibe developed partnerships with major sites like
Facebook
,
Zynga
,
Pandora
, The
Huffington Post
,
IMVU
, Zinio and
Causes
.
[21]
[22]
The company was acquired by 21st Century Fox for $200 million.
ooVoo
[
edit
]
Samit served as president of
ooVoo
, a free, social video-chat service growing the service to a top teen App with more than 100 million registered users worldwide.
[23]
ooVoo enables people to connect with their friends, family and community via 12-way video chat over the Web, Facebook, desktop and any Android or iOS-based mobile or tablet device using cloud-based connectivity. The ooVoo mobile application was awarded the 2013 Best App Technology by Appster, the “Best of the Year” distinction in 2011 and named 2012 Venture Summit Company of the Year
[24]
Samit was named the 2013 Mobile Ambassador by the MEA.
SeaChange International
[
edit
]
Samit served as CEO of
SeaChange International
a
NASDAQ
company, the world's leading provider of multi-screen video products and services that facilitate the aggregation, licensing, management, and distribution of video programs and television advertisements to cable system operators, telecommunications companies, mobile communications providers and media companies worldwide.
[25]
SeaChange pioneered the field of
Video on Demand
and won a number of awards, including three
Emmy Awards
in the category
Technology & Engineering
and in 2015, the Technology Services Industry Associations STAR award.
[26]
Published Writings
[
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]
In addition to his books, Samit has written articles and columns about
entrepreneurship
, technological innovation, and disruption for publications such as the
Wall Street Journal
,
Fortune
,
Forbes
,
Ad Age
,
Harvard Business Review
, and
Wired
. Samit worked with
Ralph Nader
on the book Selecting a President 1980.
[27]
and in college was presented the
Society of Professional Journalists
(SPJ)
Sigma Delta Chi
top national award honor for Spot News reporting.
[28]
Paintings
[
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]
A watercolorist, Samit paints predominantly in a regionalist style with subjects inspired by American street scenes and landscapes. In 2020, Richard Taittinger Gallery presented his inaugural New York solo exhibition,
America Disrupted,
featuring a series of watercolors painted during the COVID-19 quarantine. A record of the artist’s emotional response to our current era, it is also a time Jay Samit found himself conflicted about his nation’s history. Part therapeutic, part social commentary, Samit’s palette reveals the fissures in American society further exposed by this unsettling period.
[29]
Other
[
edit
]
Samit is a member of the
Writers Guild of America
, the
Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
and a performing member of the
Magic Castle
(
Academy of Magical Arts
).
[30]
According to Variety, Samit "put himself through college with magic, an art he still practices."
[13]
He was also the host of the popular
Wall Street Journal
documentary series Startup of the Year.
[31]
Philanthropy
[
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]
An active philanthropist, Samit was appointed to the White House's initiative for education and technology by President
Bill Clinton
and Vice President
Al Gore
where he helped gain Internet access for the nation's schools.
[8]
Through this program, Samit spearheaded the Internet's first auction, a Net-a-thon fundraiser, benefiting the National Education Technology Initiative.
[32]
Samit also helped produce some of the most successful charity concerts including
Tsunami Aid
and Katrina Relief. Samit is an adjunct professor at
University of Southern California
's
Viterbi School of Engineering
and teaches a course in building high-tech startups.
[33]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"VR/AR Gets Down to Business as Deloitte Digital Taps Entertainment Vet Samit"
. 2017-05-16.
- ^
"The Art of Opportunity: How to Build Growth and Ventures Through Strategic Innovation and Visual Thinking | Wiley"
.
- ^
"Disrupt You! Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation - Publishers Weekly"
. Publishersweekly.com. 2015-07-07.
- ^
Samit, Jay (23 March 2021).
Future-Proofing You: Twelve Truths for Creating Opportunity, Maximizing Wealth, and Controlling your Destiny in an Uncertain World
. John Wiley & Sons.
ISBN
978-1119772064
.
- ^
a
b
[1]
[
dead link
]
- ^
"Vid Grid for Jaguar (1995)"
. MobyGames
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
[2]
Archived
November 26, 2010, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
a
b
c
d
Adam Sandler (1999-04-13).
"EMI confirms Net vet Samit online"
. Variety
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
CIO - Google Books
. 1998-06-01
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"
"Animal House" Web site offers free e-mail, chat - Campus - the Lantern - Ohio State University"
. Archived from
the original
on March 2, 2012
. Retrieved
December 10,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
[3]
Archived
November 6, 2012, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
a
b
c
"Infighting left Sony behind Apple in digital music. Can it come back?; Teaching an Old Walkman Some New Steps - New York Times"
.
The New York Times
. 2004-04-19
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
a
b
Erich Boehm (2001-01-15).
"Like a rolling stone"
. Variety
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
a
b
"Other Labels Must Follow EMI's Lead"
.
Forbes
. 2014-07-30
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"/FROM PR NEWSWIRE NEW YORK 800-776-8090 WITH PHOTO - TO BUSINESS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS:. - Free Online Library"
. Thefreelibrary.com. Archived from
the original
on 2014-08-12
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"Wammy Award Winners Announced. - Free Online Library"
. Thefreelibrary.com. 2000-09-22
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
Billboard - Google Books
. 2002-02-23
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"News - CNET"
. News.cnet.com
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
a
b
"Sony USA ? Press Releases"
. Sony.com
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
Erich Boehm (2001-01-15).
"Like a rolling stone"
. Variety
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"Zynga Grows One Thing Advertisers Want: Mass Reach | Digital - Advertising Age"
. Adage.com. 2010-10-25
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"SVnetwork Empowers Over 30 Million to Use Social Media for Social Good"
. Business Wire. 2010-11-19
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"OoVoo wants to bring TV viewing, gaming & dating to video chat ? Tech News and Analysis"
. Gigaom.com. 2012-08-21. Archived from
the original
on 2012-11-24
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"OoVoo Named Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic 100 Company of the Year | AlwaysOn"
. Archived from
the original
on November 12, 2012
. Retrieved
November 16,
2012
.
- ^
"Yahoo Finance profile"
. Yahoo Finance. 2014
. Retrieved
November 11,
2014
.
- ^
"SeaChange Wins STAR Award for Services Excellence"
(Press release). 26 October 2015.
- ^
"New Guard"
. 1981.
- ^
"The Quill"
. 1980.
- ^
"AMERICA DISRUPTED | Richard Taittinger Gallery"
.
- ^
"Jay Samit"
. LinkedIn
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
"About the Mentor: Jay Samit - WSJ Startup of the Year 2013"
. Archived from
the original
on December 28, 2013
. Retrieved
February 3,
2014
.
- ^
"VAN NUYS MAN VOWS TO PUT ALL SCHOOLS ON-LINE"
. Highbeam.com. Archived from
the original
on 2012-11-05
. Retrieved
2014-08-10
.
- ^
https://web.archive.org/web/20111001013120/http://itp.usc.edu/news-events/2011/07/26/jay-samit-to-co-teach-itp-499-%E2%80%93-building-the-high-tech-startup/
. Archived from
the original
on October 1, 2011
. Retrieved
September 18,
2012
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikiquote has quotations related to
Jay Samit
.